Beginning of Change
by joyrid3
Summary: A collection of SaixIno oneshots. Expect anything from extreme angst to comedy. Fourth chapter up: Comfort
1. Chapter 1

**N/A:** I was going to call this story: _Pigs and Emotions_, but I figured I wouldn't read something with a stupid title like that, so I tried to think of something more profound...

-grins- I know it's short, but I had to get it out of my system! –sighs with relief –

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Ino and Sai (why, God, _WHY_?!) or any other Naruto character for that matter.

**Beginning of Change**

"Uhm...Sai-_kun_?"

He turned his head to look at the girl who was interrupting his studies. He knew he'd made her acquaintance not long ago, but he just couldn't bring himself to remember her name. The book he was reading made it very clear that it was impolite to forget someone's name, so he tried harder. The ever-present smile on his face greeted her, as he decided to use the nickname he gave her instead. After all, girls seemed to be flattered by the acknowledgement of their physical attributes. Even when said attributes where less than impressive.

"Hello, beautiful."

She blushed heavily and he wondered how it felt like. He had read about blushing, of course, but he couldn't do it for some reason.

"What are you reading?" she wanted to know.

Finally, something easier to answer.

"It's called "Introduction into the human behavior". I find it very interesting." he told her.

She looked at him with a speck of admiration in her azure eyes.

"You know, most guys hate reading." she said.

He tried to figure out what she meant by that. It was a useless information, unless it carried some sort of hidden meaning. Did she want to say he was different from most guys? And if so, was this a good thing or a bad thing?

Sai sighed, defeated. This was so complicated! He'd rather be doing S-class missions instead of figuring out this "emotion" thing.

"I can't imagine why." he answered, not knowing what else to say. "Learning new things can always prove useful."

She nodded and he figured he should put the book aside, while talking to her. It said that it was rude to focus your attention on something else while having a conversation. For some reason though, she was avoiding eye contact with him and blushing heavily when his eyes caught hers. This behavior seemed strange to him, so he decided to investigate. If only he could remember her name...It was the name of an ugly animal of some sort...

"So, Sai-_kun_...are you getting along well with Naruto and Sakura?" she asked him.

"I'm starting to develop bonds with them. Sakura-san is very friendly for an ugly girl and..." he stopped abruptly, remembering that he should never expose his true thoughts about a girl's appearance. Now she was probably going to get mad at him.

To his surprise, she was smiling at him and seemed happy and amused at the same time.

_How very odd. Naruto-kun and Sakura-san always get mad if I say something like that about either of them or about Sasuke-kun. I have to look into this matter._

Then he remembered something he'd read a couple of days ago. _Women tend to be competitive with each other, especially when it comes to looks._

He felt wiser now that he unlocked another secret of women's behavior. _It's so much more complicated than a man's!_ he noticed. _If men get angry, they can just fight and get it over with, but if a woman gets angry with you – Lord have mercy._

Seeing how he'd stopped mid-sentence and she wasn't saying anything, he continued.

"Please, call me Sai. I'm not that fond of titles."

"Sai..." she said in an unsure tone. He didn't imagine it would be that hard, since he never gave names much importance. He was starting to get used to being called Sai, though. If only he could remember her name!

She took a deep breath, as if preparing to say something of grave importance. He was all ears.

"At first I thought you resembled Sasuke-kun." she started and he shrugged. She wasn't the first person to comment on their physical likeness. "But now I see you're very different." That caught his interest. His new teammates had also said he wasn't as _cool_ as Sasuke.

"How so?" he asked, curious.

"He was always cold and detached...unreachable." she replied, her eyes somewhere far away.

_And I'm not?_ Sai found himself thinking. Cold...detached...unreachable - seemed words perfectly fit to describe him.

"You're more..." she paused, searching for the right word. He looked at her intensely, wondering how she pictured him to be. Perhaps she saw the change he could not yet feel.

"...open." she finished, looking at him with a bright smile on her face.

In that moment, he understood why people said his smile was fake. She was smiling with her whole face. Her eyes were smiling, her nose, her cheeks and finally her mouth and that couldn't be faked.

_I'm more...open? Perhaps I can change...maybe one day __I will feel...like she does._ And he smiled back at her, a true, sincere smile.

"I have to go now...I'll see you around, Sai!" she got up.

Before he could say anything in return, he saw his teammate approaching and looking rather pissed.

"Harassing Sai-_kun_ now, are we, Pig?" Sakura spoke in a loud tone.

_Pig? That's it! Her name is..._

"Jealous, forehead girl?" the object of his thoughts replied heatedly, walking over to Sakura.

"As if!"

_Ino..._

"I'll see you too...Ino." he called after her, softly.

Sakura looked at him, dumbstruck, but he wasn't paying attention. He had a hunch that _Ino _could teach him more than any book...

Sakura was now in front of him and he noticed that she looked at him as if her pride had been severely hurt.

_Must remember to compliment all women equally to avoid getting hurt, _Sai made a mental note.

**A/N:** I'm not sure when or _if_ I'll continue this, but I'd appreciate it very much if you told me your opinions! Oh, and for those of you who didn't quite catch the point: Ino means wild boar XD


	2. Chapter 2

**N/A:** It's basically what happened when Sai set out to kill Sasuke, but with a different ending.  
Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. If I did I would totally scratch off the whole _Rinnegan _thing (the ppl who read the manga will get this). Really...honestly.

**Regret**

"_SAKURA!"_ Ino burst into the hospital room, eyes wide with worry.

Her best friend had to be carried back to Konoha and Naruto was unconscious as well. Yamato had disappeared somewhere, probably presenting his report to the Hokage and she had no idea what _the hell_ happened. The only one that got back in one piece was Sai.

Sakura was still lying there...where Ino's voice couldn't reach.

"Come on, forehead! Wake up!" Ino told her, holding the silly belief that Sakura would hear the insult and get angry enough to return to consciousness. She touched her hand, holding it in her own...it was so cold!

Suddenly, her fingers moved. Ino's eyes snapped up to Sakura's face.

"Sasuke..._kun_..." she whispered, turning her head to side.

Ino's face brightened up.

_She's allright...Thank God._

"Sai...how could..." she whispered again and then her hand went limp.

_Okay, this is too weird. I'm gonna find Sai and he can tell me what happened_, Ino thought, shooting one last glance at Sakura as she walked out of the hospital room.

Once outside the building, she spotted a bird standing on a pole right in front of her.

Her hands quickly formed the seal:

_Shintenshin no jutsu!_

When she opened her eyes again, she saw her body crumbled to the ground. Expanding her wings, Ino took flight, searching for Sai. She didn't have to search long as she spotted him standing on a roof top. He seemed to be engaged in his usual activity - drawing.

Ino hurried back and released the _jutsu_, returning to her own body. Then she took to the rooftops and finally landed on the same one Sai was sitting on.

"Sai-_kun_..." she started.

He raised his eyes, his face as emotionless as ever...this time he wasn't even wearing his omnipresent smile.

"Listen...I want to know what happened on that mission..." she told him impatiently.

"Why?" he asked and his eyes left the piece of paper and focused on her.

"What do you mean, why?! Sakura's in the hospital, Naruto's unconscious...How come you're unharmed?" Ino was exasperated.

"It seems I'm the better fighter." he replied simply, refocusing on his drawing.

Ino knitted her brows. Crouching to be on the same level as him, she grabbed his collar and looked at him threateningly.

"Stop bullshitting me. Now either you tell me what happened, or..."

"Or?" he asked calmly.

"Or I swear I'll make you regret it." she spat, her eyes as cold as ice.

He raised an eyebrow and with a speed she couldn't match, threw her off him.

Ino got up quickly, taking battle stance.

"There is no need for this nonsense." he told her. "Naruto and Sakura had a run in with Orochimaru and that's the reason for their current state."  
Ino looked at him, worry shining in her azure eyes.

"He is dead now." he continued on the same tone.

"How come...?" she started.

"I did not fight Orochimaru." Sai cut her off. "My mission was different..."

_Though I don't know why I'm telling you this..._

He looked at the girl in front of him. Willing to fight him, just to find out what happened to her friends. Willing to get hurt...She looked at him questioningly and he decided to tell her.

"I have completed my task. I was to take out a traitor." his voice was calm.

Her eyes widened as she remembered Sakura's words, on the hospital bed.

"No..." her voice was broken.

"Indeed. Sasuke-_kun_ is dead. I killed him." Sai said in an even tone.

Her eyes were rapidly filling with tears, a behavior which he found odd.

"What was he to you?" he asked.

"That's none of your business! You...you! How could you!" she spat.

_The same words Sakura-san used...and on the same tone. Could it be that she too was infatuated with him?_

She threw herself on him, her hands holding deadly _kunai_.

_Just who did this person think he was, to take away Sakura's and Naruto's dreams like that?_

He caught her wrists, twisting them until she cried in pain. The _kunai _dropped from her hands, but she still glared at him.

"Why...do you cry?" he found himself asking, catching both of her wrists with one hand and wiping away a tear drop with the other. He looked at it as if it were a foreign substance.

"Don't you understand anything?" she shot, tears running freely down her cheeks.

"Make me understand." he replied, lessening his grip so that it wouldn't be painful anymore.

Her gaze on him was filled with loathe and her breath came in heavy pants.

"Please." he added.

Ino took a deep breath.

"He was our friend! Sakura...Sakura loved him! Don't you understand how much you've hurt her? He was Naruto's best friend! Naruto was willing to die for him...he trained all these years to have strength enough to get him back! The hope of getting Sasuke back was what drove both of them!" she paused, heavy tears falling from her eyes. Sai's eyes were fixed on her. "Don't you see how much you've taken away from them?"

He appeared to be reflecting on that for a moment and then he let go of her wrists. She backed away, glaring at him, like a cornered animal.

"But what is it to _you_?" he asked.

Ino was shocked at this. Did he understand _nothing_ of human emotions?

"Because I care for them, their pain hurts me as well!" she snapped.

Sai's eyes widened a little.

"You feel..._their_ pain?"

Ino dried her eyes and approached him again. She had no chance of winning a fight against him, she knew that now.

Stopping right in front of him, she looked into his eyes. He held her gaze, but there was something different about his expression. He seemed somewhat confused.

Raising her hand, Ino slapped him as hard as she could. His eyes widened in shock as he looked at her.

"You've hurt _me_."

His hand touched his reddened cheek with unsure movements. Her eyes, red from crying were still icy.

He wished he knew more about emotions. Maybe then he would be able to identify this feeling that was stinging his eyes. Or the heavy weight that had suddenly felt in his chest. It felt like...what he did wasn't the right thing. He wished he could undo it. What was this called...? He was sure he'd read it somewhere...

_Ah...regret._

The girl had already turned her back on him and was walking away.

"I..." he started.

She stopped in her tracks, but didn't turn to face him.

"I did not know this..."

His voice was honest, so she turned and looked at him.

"I do not regret taking his life. Sasuke-_kun_ was a traitor to Konoha and needed to be annihilated." he continued.

Ino shook her head slightly, closing her eyes. Another wave of tears was threatening to burst out.

"But..."

Her eyes opened and turned to him.

"I do regret hurting you...For that...I am sorry." he said and noticed with awe that some of the weight had lifted.

Surprise flashed in her eyes for a brief moment, after which she turned around without a word and walked away.

Sai watched her receding back, wishing for the first time that there was something more he could do to ease her pain. The pain that _he_ had caused. It was a strange feeling...He took out his book on the human behavior and started searching its pages with fervor .

Maybe there was _something_ he could do...

**A/N:** Oh yes, I am aware that Sasuke is currently stronger than Sai.

I think I'll be turning this into a series of SaiIno oneshot thingy! Reviews would be appreciated XD


	3. Chapter 3

**N/A:** Wow! Two updates on the same day...I'm on a row here XD

**Disclaimer:** Argh! No more disclaimers! Everyone knows I don't own Naruto.

**Portrait**

Sai's pencil was moving on the paper rapidly. Lately, his skills had improved and he had even been able to name some of the pictures he drew. He had a hunch why this was happening, but right now he was completely concentrated on perfecting his work. Truly, he was on a row today!

Being so absorbed, he didn't even notice the presence of a girl behind him, stretching her neck to see what he was drawing.

Ino tilted her head to the side, trying to make sense of the picture. No use. She really wasn't into abstract.

Seeing how he didn't seem to notice her, she cleared her throat loudly.

Sai snapped out of his artistic activity and looked at the intruder.

"Oh...Ino-_san_." he said, putting his sketchbook aside. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, I was just passing by and saw you here, concentrating on something and I thought I'd say hello." she beamed at him. "I didn't know you like to draw."

He shrugged. "It's something to do..."  
_...that keeps me from having to deal with other people, _he continued in his mind.

She sat down besides him, eying the sketchbook curiously.

"Do you draw people too?"

"Sometimes." he answered, wondering why she was so curious about this.

_Oh! I get it. She must be trying to make conversation._

_Talking about your hobbies is a good way to start a conversation_, he cited in his mind.

"So...can you do portraits too?" she smiled at him, blushing.

"I think so." he replied, oblivious to her intentions.

Her smile grew wider.

"Would you draw my portrait? Please?" she asked him in a sweet tone.

Sai was taken aback by this. But if he said no, she would probably be offended.

"I...don't see why not." he said, taking his sketchbook and preparing the pencil.

She seemed happy at this and took on a very odd pose. At least Sai believed so. It looked so unnatural, that slight smile and the smug expression on her face. If it were up to him, he'd say the bright smile she wore earlier would have been a better pose.

_I haven't studied enough to understand women yet_, he concluded and started to draw.

As his hand traced the lines of her visage, he concentrated on making the drawing as accurate as possible. Throwing short glances at her, he started to sketch her features.

"I'll keep it in my room!" she told him happily.

_Why...?_ he wondered. He kept his own drawings in his room, because it helped him to remember certain moments and to awake some crumbs of emotion. But why he'd keep someone else's drawing, he was sure he didn't understand.

After he added the finishing touches, he revealed the portrait to her eager eyes. She looked at it, seeming a bit disappointed.

_I don't look that superficial, do I?_ she wondered, eying her empty arrogant expression.

Sai noticed her reaction and looked at the picture himself, trying to figure out what was wrong.

_She must be mad that I drew her exactly as average as she looks! I should have drawn her more attractive! Gotta fix this quick!_

Sai quickly grabbed the sketchbook and hid the portrait from her gaze.

"This doesn't quite do you justice, I'll draw another one! A full body portrait maybe?" he asked, putting on his fake smile.

"Oh...you don't have to..." she started.

"Oh, no. I insist!" he cut her off and started to scribble something fast.

Ino looked surprised, but she accepted his offer and asked:

"Should I take on a different position?"

"No, this is perfect." he replied, without even looking at her.

He traced the lines of her body, making her curvier and amplifying the size of her chest.

_I should draw her naked, so she would see how beautiful I made her body look. _

Sai gave himself a mental pat on the back for that one. Yup, he was finally making progress in understanding this emotion business.

This was taking a lot longer than the other one, Ino thought, trying to stand still even if he didn't seem to be looking at her at all.

_Maybe he had great visual memory..._

Sai gave his work one last overview. Ample, round breasts – with nipples just the right size - curvy hips...long legs and he hadn't left out any details on her intimate area. He had drawn her with her hair down, falling over her breasts. Yes, this was portrait of a very attractive woman if he did say so himself. He nodded, satisfied and then showed it to her.

Her face turned bright red as her eyes widened in disbelief.  
Sai was proud of himself. Yes, this was indeed a reaction of joy at her beauty. He'd definitely gained a new bond.

He looked into her eyes, but she seemed like she couldn't take her gaze away from the portrait.

_That's how much she likes it_, he concluded.

"It's...it's..." she started, making long pauses between the words.

_Of course, she's speechless...I should say something instead._

"This is exactly how I see you, Ino-_san_." he told her in a determined voice.

_Yes, let her believe I think she's this gorgeous...that will make her very happy._

Ino swallowed hard, wishing the earth would crack open and swallow her. She turned three different shades of red as she wondered how she could get out of this situation. Normally she would have slapped anyone for this kind of thing, but coming from Sai...she just didn't know how to react.   
_Turn tail and run away_, her mind suggested.

"I...have to...I've got to..." she mumbled, trying to take her eyes of the "portrait".

"No need to thank me...It was my pleasure." he replied, his smile widening.

"Go! Yes. I have to go!" she exclaimed, finding the word she was searching for.

With that, she got up and leaped away as fast as she could.

"Wait! Ino-_san_! Weren't you going to put it in your room?" he called after her.

No use, she had already disappeared.

_She must have had urgent business to attend to. Oh well..._Sai thought, looking into the distance.

_Wait...isn't that her teammate, Shikamaru-kun? What luck! He'll surely see her before I do. I'll just give this to him!_

With that in mind, Sai rushed to speak to Shikamaru, satisfied that he had handled this delicate situation so well.

**A/N:** Poor clueless Sai...


	4. Chapter 4

**N/A: **Contains spoilers from the manga...You have been warned!**  
**

**Comfort**

Tears were flowing rapidly down her cheeks as she allowed herself this one moment of weakness. She hoped that no one would see, that no one would pity her as she slowly fell to her knees in front of the monument.

_Asuma-sensei..._

She never thought she'd see his name there...along with his father's. Killed in action...such simple words couldn't begin to describe what he meant to the village. What he meant to her...

Memories kept flashing before her closed eyes as the tears refused to stop.

_She had taken a fall as a kunai scraped past her cheek and he was there to help her up...he knew she wouldn't cry, but instead scream at Shikamaru for some random reason. He always made training fun and knew how to create such strong bonds between them. They were always together...the four of them, whether it was for training or eating barbeque...or playing shogi at Shikamaru's. She hated that game. Asuma-sensei always lost. But he never once got upset about it. _

Her fist clutched on the ground and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. The pain was too much to bear! She wished she could keep her calm, like Shikamaru did. Choji was probably crying too.

Ino took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Running her fingers over his name one last time, she got up, shaking the dirt from her clothes.

She turned to leave, but the sight of someone right in front of her made her almost fall down.

_Sai! How long has he been here?_

Ino swallowed hard, a nagging little thought informing her that she probably looked like crap, with her eyes all red and her hair in disorder.

"Ino-_san_...are you allright?" he inquired with his omnipresent smile.

"Yeah!" she answered, trying to work up a smile.

"It's late...I was wondering why you're here at this hour." he told her.

_I didn't want anyone to see me crying my eyes out, duh!_

"I could ask you the same question." she replied. "Did you also...lose someone?" her voice was trembling.

Sai remained silent for a moment, looking at the memorial stone behind her.

"I did, but his name is not written there." he finally answered.

"Why?" Ino asked.

"Because he had no name." he replied evenly.

Ino's eyes widened disbelievingly as he continued.

"He was part of "_Root_" like me. We...have no names. We are given names only on certain missions."

She looked at him with something akin to pity in her azure eyes.

"So Sai is just a made up name?"

"I like it though." he answered. "I've already informed my superior about my intention to always be referred to as such."

"Oh..." she looked away from him. It was bad enough that someone saw her like this, especially someone like Sai, who didn't really understand emotions.

Before she could announce him that she had to leave, he spoke again.

"It's your _sensei_, isn't it?"

_Don't say it, please...don't ask me about it..._

Ino nodded heavily, feeling her eyes tear up again.

"You lied to me." he said softly.

She looked at him inquiringly.

"You said you're allright, but you're not." he explained.

"I should...be going." she told him, preparing to walk past him and go cry her eyes out somewhere else. Home was out of the question since the previous generation of _InoShikaCho_ were having a get together in the memory of Asuma. She couldn't be there right now.

"Where?" came his simple question.

_Where..._

"Anywhere..." she answered, looking at the ground.

He looked at her for a moment, silent.

"Come." he said in a low voice.

Ino looked at him, surprised. He thought it beautiful, the contrast between the red and perfect blue in her eyes. Unlike the time he had called her pretty without meaning it, to him she really was pretty now. Because of the emotions her whole being emanated, emotions which he could not bring himself to feel.

Without waiting for her to answer, he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the stone that brought her so much sadness. Apparently, she did not want to go home, probably some event in her late _sensei_'s memory was being held there. It was custom.

Ino followed him reluctantly, but in a way she was thankful to escape the sad memories and what better person to help her than Sai? He was a new acquaintance and he didn't make her remember any scenes of her team and Asuma.

Sai knew exactly where he was going and he found the fastest route. Soon he and Ino were staring at the entrance to one of Konoha's bars.

"A bar?" Ino asked, disbelievingly.

_And why not..._she thought. _That would get my mind off it for a while._

"Wanna make me drown my sorrows?" she joked as they both took a seat.

He gestured to the bartender and soon two cups of hot sake appeared in front of them.

"Perhaps I just want to get you drunk and take advantage of you." he said, looking at her seriously.

Half a cup of sake left Ino's mouth in a violent way as she started to cough.

"What?" she asked, after regaining her composure.

The usual smile took the place of his serious expression.

"I read somewhere that men sometimes talk like that to women, when alcohol is present."

Ino burst into laughs as Sai looked at her, a bit puzzled.

"You're...funny." she managed to make out between fits of laugher.

"I wasn't trying to be." he replied, still oblivious.

"That's what makes it all the more funny!" she told him, smiling.

"Is it?" he asked, appearing interested all of a sudden. "I will remember that."

"Maybe you should write it down." Ino advised, containing her laughter.

"Oh, there is no need to worry. I have a very good memory." he replied seriously.

Ino turned her head so he wouldn't see her laughing again. Really, he was such a twit when it came to anything related to emotions! But he was trying to learn and she liked that about him.

Looking at him, Ino realized his cup was already empty and he was ordering the second one.

"Careful, I don't know if I could carry you home." she joked. "I don't even know where you live for that matter so I wouldn't count on me if I were you."

"I could show you if you like." he answered calmly and she felt warmth in her cheeks, sign that she was probably getting as red as a tomato.

"Oh, no...I meant..." she gestured to the empty sake cup.

"Oh that...I can't even feel it anymore. At _Root_ we go through all kinds of training." he told her.

She raised her eyebrows, inquiringly.

"Say you're supposed to gather information under cover. The best place to do it is a bar. And you'll attract attention if you don't drink with the person you're extracting the information from, but you can't afford to get drunk either. We...I have an extraordinary resistance to alcohol." he continued.

"I see..." she said, wondering how that kind of "training" would ensue.

Ino emptied the remainder of her cup, not wanting to stay behind. If she could describe herself in one word, it would be competitive.

The bartender brought them two more cups and she realized she felt better. And taking a closer look at Sai in the dim, almost non existent light, she thought he looked even better than Sasuke. Or maybe it was just the alcohol, but he was hot nonetheless.

"Thanks." she said softly.

"For what?" he asked, emptying his third cup.

"Making me feel better." she told him, staring on the third cup.

_I did? _Sai thought, puzzled.

"Hey, I have an idea!" Ino exclaimed, a bit too loud.

Sai looked at her, expectantly.

"I've never seen your _jutsu_, but Sakura said it was artistic. Why don't we get out of here and you can show it to me?" she asked.

Sai shrugged.

She took that as a yes and prepared to pay for her drinks. A warm hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Please don't. It's on me." he said.

She looked at him, blushing. She knew this wasn't a date or anything, but it was sure starting to look like one.

They went outside and Ino noticed with satisfaction that it was late enough for the streets to be deserted. She stopped and tugged at his arm.

"Here?" he asked, scanning the area.

"Yeah! No one's here now and I don't feel like walking anymore." she replied, realizing that she sounded like Shikamaru.

_It's the sake! Damnit._

Sai took out a scroll and she took battle stance, wondering what kind of _jutsu_ he would hit her with. Upon a closer look though, she found that the scroll was empty. He proceeded to take out a paintbrush and black paint and scribbled something onto the scroll.

"_Ninpou: Chojuu Giga_." he spoke, forming a seal.

Suddenly, a huge lion-like creature jumped out from the scroll and faced Ino, growling.

She looked at it, rooted to the spot as the animal scattered in little drops of ink.

"Wow." was all she could say, agreeing with Sakura in her mind.  
_Artistic, huh?_

"It's not that impressive." he said. "But it's efficient in combat."

"Do you mind if I ask to see your _jutsu_? I've heard about the Yamanaka clan's secret technique, but that's as far as my knowledge goes." Sai told her.

"It's...better suited for recon that actual combat, unless I use it unison with my teammates' _jutsus_." Ino told him.

"Still, I would like to see it." he insisted.

She shrugged, forming the seal.

_Shintenshin no jutsu!_

Sai's sensed were on alert, wondering what would hit him, but to his surprise, nothing came at him, thus he didn't move.

_Succes!_

Ino's body crumbled to the ground as she looked at the world through Sai's eyes. The alcohol must have had a greater effect on her than she thought, because she couldn't resist the temptation of touching his abdomen.

_Well-built...firm...soft skin..._she concluded

Another crazy though made it's way into her mind. She wondered why he had the confidence to mock the size of people's penises.

_BAD INO!_

She shook her head/Sai's head, dismissing the thought.

"Kai!" Sai's voice echoed in the deserted streets.

Ino's mind connected to her body and she felt her limbs aching.

_Well duh! It just hit the ground like a rock!_

Sai looked at her, dumbfounded.

"What did you...just now..."

"I was in your body." she told him, realizing how weird it sounded.

His eyes widened and she thought he looked cute with that expression.

"My clan's techniques revolve around mind-control. The one I used, _Shintenshin_, allows me to take over your body for a short period of time." she informed him, her tone sounding somewhat proud.

"Intriguing." he commented.

She smiled genuinely.

"I should be going home now." she said and Sai noticed a sadness in her tone.

"I'll walk you." he offered and she nodded, turning around.

Sai pondered something and then, apparently deciding on it, took out his scroll and brush and doodled something on it.

Ino half-turned to the sound of brush against paper, just a see an ink kitten popping out of the scroll. It looked silly and cute at the same time, like the sort of thing a ten-year old would draw, but it hardly resembled a real cat.

Ino giggled, wondering if those lion-like creatures where the only things he could _really_draw. Nonetheless, his gesture surprised her and she touched the tiny ink creature. Surprisingly, it was solid and she took it into her arms. It even went _Meow!_

Ino squealed and released the tiny creature. Her eyes brightened as she looked at Sai and without warning, she hugged him tightly.

His eyes widened as he looked down at the girl glued against him and her happy smile. His arms circled around her as well, almost unconsciously as the ink kitten jumped around them.

Sai dismissed the creature with a wave of his hand and it turned into blotches of ink, splattered across the ground. He smiled as his arms tightened around Ino.

_So it's the little things that make one truly happy._

**A/N:** He killed zah kitten...o m g XD


End file.
